New Cargo Carrier Says Area Offers Fuel For Success

NEWPORT NEWS — Executives with the Peninsula's new air cargo carrier said Thursday the region's growth and economic diversity provide a ready base of business their new venture needs to succeed.

``We feel there's great interest in this product,'' said Mark E. Leininger, chief operating officer for Mid Pacific Air Corp.

Mid Pacific will operate a daily round-trip flight from Newport News to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport beginning Aug. 3.

Jeffrey A. Lehman, Mid Pacific's senior vice president and general manager, said the 3-year-old carrier will provide a convenient alternative to local businesses that now must ship freight across Hampton Roads to Norfolk International Airport.

The carrier will fly a twin-engine, YS-11 turbo-prop plane that can carry as much as 15,000 pounds of cargo, Lehman said. He said Mid Pacific will operate from the old terminal at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, employing seven full-and part-time workers.

Approximately 200 tons of cargo moved through the Peninsula airport last year, most of that on USAir. However, Lehman said, Mid Pacific will not compete with USAir, which he said handles smaller cargo.

Mid Pacific is a privately held company headquartered in New York. It operates a hub in Indianapolis and operates cargo flights to Detroit; Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Toronto, Canada.